Race's new friend
by NewsiesRacetrack88
Summary: COMPLETE! Rif-raf was like a mini copy of Racetrack. They become good friends, but a mistake that Rif-raf makes leads them into a lot of trouble.
1. Rifraf

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, or the characters, or New York. However, I DO own Rif-raf**

**This is my very first fan fic! I hope it gets better after the first 3 chapters…**

It was about a week after the strike. Rif-raf had seen what the newsies had done and was in aw. He knew just what to do.

"Jack, the kid has his heart set on being a newsie." Racetrack had said. Rif-raf had been hanging around Racetrack for a while and really looked up to him. When Rif-raf became a newsie, not a lot of the other boys in the group looked to fondly. After all, his story was a bit far-fetched, but it was true. Rif-raf had gotten the news of the gathering in the square in front of the world building from his friend. At the time, Rif-raf had worked at a factory. He went to see what would happen. When he saw how brave the newsies were, he decided he wanted to be one of them. Although the story Rif-raf told was true, not to many of the other boys believed him.

"Why wouldja leave dat job, huh?" Skittery had asked "didn't you get good pay?" This was not true. In fact, the factory he worked at gave little pay.

"So why wouldja give up the wonderful life styles of a factory boy to life the rough and tuff life of a newsie?" Kid Blink asked him. Rif-raf gave a small laugh at that. His life had been any thing but "wonderful." He was constantly on the run from the cops because of the antics he pulled on them. He was a real prankster. The only newsie that really seemed to trust him was Racetrack. After all, he had been the one who approached Rif-raf first when he was outside of the newsboys lodging house. They really hit it off. Racetrack seemed surprised when he learned that Rif-raf played a mean game of cards. After a week or two, the newsies seemed to start to trust Rif-raf. He actually became close to some of them, Les in particular. Rif-raf was only two years older than he was. He and Les would sell together (under the watch of Les's brother, David) and when they weren't selling, they were playing. Sometimes they would have sword fights with the other young newsies, but most of the time, they would play cards with Racetrack. Yes, Rif-raf had finally fit in, but what he did not know, was that he was going to make the biggest mistake of his life.

**So yeah… it should get a little better**


	2. Sellin' papes

**Disclamer: I Do not own Newsies, any of the charecters, or New york, I DO own Rif-raf, and maybe some other unfamiliar characters in later chapters**

Rif-raf was sitting on his bunk next to Racetrack's. He was thinking about how today would go. Les hadn't been feeling well the past couple of days and Rif-raf was hoping he felt better today. He sighed. He had hoped that the past three days and Les had not felt better then.

"What's wrong witchoo?" Racetrack asked when Rif-raf sighed.

"I just hope that Les is feeling better today." Rif-raf said miserably.

"'Hey, if 'e's not hear, you can sell wid me!" Snipeshooter said from the other side of Racetrack. The newsies laughed at this. They all knew that there were only two newsies Rif-raf sold with, and they were Les and Racetrack. Racetrack chuckled but only for a few moments, he stopped when he looked at Rif-raf again.

"Kid, I hate seeing you miserable!" he said putting his hand on Rif-raf's shoulder. "We'll sell together today if Les is not there k?" Rif-raf nodded unenthusiastically. "Then, we can head over to Sheepshed, huh?" Racetrack said lowering his voice as if it were a secret. Rif-raf's heart skipped a beat. Racetrack had told him he would bring him the Sheepshed Bay one day, but it had yet to happen.

"Really?" Rif-raf said brightening up. Race laughed.

"Sure, didn't I say I would bring ya dere?" Rif-raf shrugged with a small smile on his face. Race laughed and playfully punched Rif-raf's shoulder.

"On one condition," Rif-raf said pointing his finger at Racetrack "We go even if Les is there!"

"Sure kid," Race said, "whatever ya say."

When Rif-raf had finished getting ready, which took a very short time, he ran out of the lodging house to catch up with the other boys. Race had waited behind for him.

"What were ya doin'?" Race asked. When Rif-raf had met him.

"Thinkin'" Rif-raf said flatly. "Did you go to the distribution office yet?" Rif-raf asked. Headlines were slow now that the newsie's strike was over.

"Nah," Race said "didn't botha" they headed for the office. When they got there, Rif-raf looked around for Les, but he couldn't find him. At first, he thought maybe that David and him were running late, but then he saw David talking to Jack. Rif-raf sighed. 'Oh well' he thought 'At least I still get to sell with Race.' He and Race got in line behind Dutchy. Duthcy bought 40 papes. After getting his merchandise, he turned to Race

"The best thing they got is a story about a goil who saved a cat from being hit by a wagon." He whispered to Race "An easy hawker!" After hearing this, Rif-raf bought 50 papes, as did Race. They went to Race's favorite selling spot.

"Watch and learn, kid" Race said and shouted out "EXTRA EXTRA! YOUNG HERO! LITTLE GOIL SAVES LIFE!" People walked over to Race and bought some papers. Rif-raf walked a little away from Race and shouted "EXTRA EXTRA! SEVEN YEAR OLD SAVES VALUABLE LIFE!" About ten people rushed over to Rif-raf. He knew this was not just about the paper when Race was standing only a few feet away. People liked buying from little kids rather than older kids like Racetrack. Although he was eleven, Rif-raf could easily pass for eight. Race walked over to Rif-raf and looked at the money in his hand.

"Not bad, kid" he said. Rif-raf looked at him

"Its not like this is da foist time I sold with you!" Rif-raf said.

"Ya know kid, I think we can pull something off!" Race said with a smirk "How's dis" he got down on his knees and said in a weak voice "'Sir, please, buy my pappa… I need the money to feed my little brodda! He hasn't eaten in four days!'" Rif-raf laughed, he did not want to tell Race how much he looked like an idiot.

"Well, we are almost like broddas, anyway… and we do look a lot alike!" Rif-raf said sitting on the ground. This was very true. Rif-raf was like a mini copy of Racetrack, but the only difference was that Racetrack had short dark hair, and Rif-raf had longer, light brown hair. Just the other night Jack was kidding around by saying that if they both got their hair cut all off, and Rif-raf grew, you would not be able to tell them apart.

"Touch my head Cowboy," Race had said "and I'll soak ya!"

Rif-raf sat for a moment thinking then said "Ok, I'll do it, but I get two thirds of the prophet!"

"What!" Race exclaimed standing up

"I am younger! And I am oh so weak!" he said in almost the same voice Race had used.

"Not bad kid, but we are splitting this fifty fifty!"

"Fine" Rif-raf said, and they spit shook. This plan worked for a while, and together, they had sold almost all of their papes, except for two.

"One for me, one for you!" Race said, "Whoever sells theirs first wins, loser buys winner lunch!"

"You're on!" Rif-raf could not believe that Race had made that bet considering Rif-raf was much smaller than he was, but at least he would get a free lunch! Rif-raf ran up to a man on a corner and said

"g'day sir! Would you like to read about how a young goil saves a very valuable life?" The man looked at Rif-raf for a moment then handed him a coin. "Thank you sir!" Rif-raf said and started to walk away.

"Hey! There ain't no story about a kid saving a life!" He threw the paper on the ground and walked towards Rif-raf. Rif-raf broke into a run.

"Racetrack!" Rif-raf yelled as he ran toward his fellow newsie, the man hot on his trail

"Whoa, whacha do kid?" Race asked when Rif-raf pasted him

"I made up a head line, I wasn't quick enough to get away before he read the story!" Race stood in the way of the man

"Excuse me sir?" He said in a calm tone "Any reason why you are chasing my brodda though the streets like a lunatic?" Rif-raf chuckled, but looked at his feet when the man looked at him

"That lil' punk lied to me! He said a little goil saved a life!" Race looked at Rif-raf then back to the man

"Well, lets see here, huh?" Race opened his paper to the story "I believe this little goil did save a life… a cat's life, but a life none da less." Race folded his paper and looked at the man "It's not his fault you were boneheaded enough to think it was a human life!" Rif-raf and Race both stated laughing, and the man charged at them. They ran through the streets laughing all the while. When they were sure they had lost the man, Rif-raf sat on the sidewalk.

"Race, I wish you really were my brodda" he said looking up at his idol. Race sat next to him

"Ya are kid" he said, "All da newsies are broddas! We are one big insane family!" The two boys started to walk again.

"Ya know Race?" Rif-raf said looking up at the older newsie

"What?" Race asked

"Ya still owe me that lunch."

**that was a bit longer than I intended... i hope this story gets a bit more exciting when the fights come in**


	3. sheepshead bay

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the characters (cries) but I do own Rif-raf and any other unfamiliar character in later chapters!**

Rif-raf walked behind Racetrack for a little while longer until they got to the Brooklyn Bridge. Rif-raf froze in his track. Race looked back at him

"What's da madda?" he asked then looked over the bridge, like he was anxious to go to the races.

"dat's Brooklyn!" Rif-raf said with wide eyes "I've hoid of it! Day got some tough stuff over dere!"

"If ya talkin' 'bout Spot Conlon, its fine! He won't try anythin' he and 'hattan are fine since the strike." That wasn't why Rif-raf was afraid of Brooklyn. There were dangerous gangs in Brooklyn, and crime, but he followed Racetrack over the bridge anyway. As they walked down the streets, Rif-raf looked all around. He was alert of his surroundings. He could hear Race laughing at him, but he didn't care. He couldn't wait to get to the races, and off the streets of Brooklyn.

"Here it is, Rif!" Race said when they arrived. Rif-raf looked at the track in aw. "Come on, I don't wanna miss da race!" He tugged Rif-raf from the shirt collar. 'boy, betting sure dose get Race impatient' Rif-raf thought as he was pulled into the stadium. Race bet on a horse that looked quite determined. Rif-raf didn't want to bet any money, he was more of a cards person. When they finally sat down, Race looked at the track. "This is the day kid, I bet a whole lotta money on dis horse!" The gunshot made Rif-raf jump and Race jumped to his feet in excitement. His horse was in the lead until the end when another horse tied with him "COME ON YA STINKIN' HORSE!" Race yelled. In the end, his horse did end up winning, and Race jumped into the air and screamed in excitement. He grabbed Rif-raf by the shirt and yelled in his face "I won kid!" and Rif-raf laughed.

"Good, 'cause ya still owe me lunch!" Race pushed him all little then continued to yell. After Race got his money, they walked back to Manhattan. Rif-raf felt uneasy again as they walked on the streets of Brooklyn. He was constantly looking behind him and to the sides.

"Ya know kid, danger can come from the front too." Race had said after a while, but Rif-raf didn't pay much mind to it. He just wanted to get out of Brooklyn as fast as he could. When they reached the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, Rif-raf sighed in relief and Race laughed.

"I neva wanna go ta Brooklyn again!" Rif-raf said "But I do wanna go back to the races." Race laughed

"Ya can't have both, kid," he said, and they walked to the lodging house. "I'll get ya lunch tommora" Race said. "It's gettin' late." Rif-raf smiled and went upstairs to sleep. As he got ready, he heard Race yelling about how he had won the race, and Rif-raf smiled. He got into bed and fell asleep.

**man, that was a bit shorter than I intended. Once again, I hope it gets more exciting when the fights come in**


	4. where's Rifraf?

**Disclaimer: I still don't own newsies or the characters, but I do own Rif-raf**

**Yeah, so this chapter should be better than the others I hope.**

Kloppman told the newsies to go to sleep. Racetrack and the others filed upstairs. Racetrack looked over at Rif-raf who was already asleep.Race chuckled 'Brooklyn must of scared the energy outta him!' he thought. Race was sitting up in bed listening to other newsies conversations. Jack and Kid-blink were talking about how blink punched someone for telling him he had a fake eye-patch, Skittery and Specs were talking about how good of a selling day they had, Mush was telling some other newsies how he met a very beautiful girl in central park. There were other conversations he could not hear very well. Snipeshooter turned to him.

"So Race, you won a bet? About time!" He said as some other newsies turned to join in on the conversation.

"What do ya mean 'about time?'" Race said standing up "I've won plenty of bets!" Snipeshooter looked at the other boys and laughed and the others joined in.

"Race, ya haven't won any in a few months now!" Pie-eater said and the other boys murmured their agrements.

"Yeah, well I won it today" Race said hotly and sat down on his bed again.

"So, ya gonna buy us lunch?" Snipeshooter asked, jokingly. The boys snickered.

"I'm buyin' it for Rif." Race said "lost a bet ta him." This made the boys crack up. Race shook his head. After a while, all of the boys except for Racetrack were asleep. Racetrack was restless from winning the bet. He got up and walked around for a bit in the lodging house. Finally, he went to sleep.

Rif-raf was the first to wake up the next morning. He got ready very quickly and went downstairs for a while. After a little while, Kloppman woke the rest of the boys up. When Race got downstairs, Rif-raf followed him out of the building. As the newsies walked to the distribution office, Rif-raf quietly wished for Les to be there, and sure enough, when he arrived, David and Les were standing, already with their papers. Rif-raf ran over to Les.

"Finally feelin' betta?" Rif-raf asked. To his surprise, Les shook his head. Les did look pale, and thin, like he had not eaten in days.

"David has something to tell you all" Les said weakly, sounding just as bad as he looked. Rif-raf got his paper. There was a big fire in Queens, so they had a good headline. When all of the newsies got their papers, Jack told them all to listen to David for a second. The newsies looked at David.

"My father got his job back at the factory, so-so me and Les are going back to school." The newsies looked shocked. Rif-raf was very sad. Les was his best friend, and he did not want to lose him. Rif-raf walked over to Les.

"This is our last day of selling, so I didn't want to miss it" Les said. Despite the great headline, Les only had 20 papers.

"We'll sell togeda one last time" Rif-raf said. Les, David, Jack, and Rif-raf walked to a good selling spot. Les was the first to sell all of his papers, then Rif-raf, so they went off to go talk to each other. Rif-raf felt like he was about to lose his best friend, but he could still visit Les, and Les said he would visit him. When David and Jack finished selling, David brought Les home so he could rest. Rif-raf sighed as he watched his best friend walk away.

"Com'on kid" Jack said putting his hand on Rif-raf's shoulder, "Lets go to Tibby's" When they got there, almost all of the newsies were there. Rif-raf sat at a table with Race, Boots, Skittery and Specs. Rif-raf sighed as he sat down.

"Hey kid, why don't I buy you dat lunch, huh?" Race said. Rif-raf shook his head

"Nah, ya don't haft ta," he said looking down

"A promise is a promise!" Race said, pulling out a few coins.

"Fine" Rif-raf said after a long pause, but all he got was a drink.

"Kid, it's not like you'll neva see him again" Race said after another long pause.

"I know, its just-" Rif-raf paused "it just won't be da same" He walked out of the restaurant and to the lodging house. Back at Tibby's, Racetrack sighed.

The next morning Race woke up to Kloppman's yells. He looked over at Rif-raf's bunk, and he was not there, again. He shook his head and got ready for work. 'He is probably just downstairs again' Race thought, as he washed his face. He went downstairs and looked for Rif-raf, but he was not there. Race started to worry. 'He's ok, Race' he kept telling himself, but when Rif-raf wasn't at the distribution office, he started to really worry.

"Jack," Race said going over to his leader. "I can't find Rif anywhere" he said. Jack looked around.

"I wouldn't worry 'bout it too much" Jack said. "He's a smart kid" he added and headed out to sell his papers, alone for the first time in a while. Racetrack went off to his selling spot, but could not get Rif-raf off his mind. 'What happened to him?' he kept asking himself. After selling about only five papers, he felt himself being pulled into an alley. He looked at his attacker to realize it was the man Rif-raf had out smarted the other day. With a jolt race thought of Rif-raf, and if this man could have beaten him up. There were about four other's with the goon. The man punched Racetrack in the face. Race felt dizzy but then the attacker shook him.

"Where's your kid brodda?" the man said throwing Race against the wall. He fell on the ground with a thud. Race felt sick and could barley breath. "We saw him today, but he got away!" said another man. Race shook his head.

"I don't have a brodda" Race managed to say, and this of course was true. The man kicked Race in the head. Race felt blackness take over him. All he could sense was the barley audible voices of the men

"What happened?"

"Is he dead?"

"Didja kill him?" Then, Race heard nothing…

**oh no!! Is he dead? Don't worry; I could never kill my favorite character… but what happened to him? And what happened to Rif-raf?**


	5. Explainations

**Disclaimer: You guessed it, I do not own Newsies or the characters, I do own Rif-raf!**

**Thanks for replying Smiley94!**

"Race?" Racetrack heard faintly. "Race?" The familiar voice was barely audible. He felt someone shake him. Then he realized who it was.

"Spot?" Race managed to say.

"Yeah" Spot said, "I thought you's were a goner!"

"Don't get your hopes up" Race said trying to stand up "what happened?"

"Well. Ie's was on my way to see Jacky-boy was Ie's saw those goons beating you's up." Spot said helping Race up "Then I taught dem not to mess wid Spot conlon's allies. I went to go finds Jack but I couldn't find him anywhere, so I came back, and here we are." Race nodded, then remembered Rif-raf

"Spot! Did you see a kid dat looks just like me?" Race asked, getting hopeful.

"Yeah, dats why I was goin' ta see Jacky-boy, we saws him runnin', he had absolutely no idea where he was goin'. Said he was from 'Hattan, and his name was Rif-raf."

"Dat's him," Race said. "Where is he?"

"Back in Brooklyn." Said Spot, "He was pretty hoit, so Ie's let him stay." Race felt horrible. He wanted to kill those goons for beating up Rif-raf and him, but if Spot fought them, he had a feeling that they got enough of a beating. Spot helped him back to the lodging house. He wondered how long he had been in that ally. It seemed like it was getting dark. Had the people continued to beat Race up when he was knocked out? They must of, because Race only remembered telling them that Rif-raf wasn't his brother, and that was in the morning.

"How long was I lying there?" Race asked Spot.

"A while" Spot said, "I was out most of da day lookin' for Jack and you's were already knocked out when I found those goons." Race nodded, that was just what he thought.

The boys reached the lodging house and when the door opened all of the newsies look at Spot and Race for a few seconds and then rushed over to help their friend. "Jacky-boy" Spot said letting Race go. "Ie's need to talk to ya." Jack followed Spot.

"So Spot, ya mind tellin' me what happened?" Jack said. Spot sat down and told him the story about how he had found Racetrack.

"So da reason I was looking for you'se was because I needed to tell you about someone I found in Brooklyn" Spot said. "Dis boy was beaten up bad, and he seemed to be runnin'" Spot said "name's Rif-raf, one of yours I believe."

"Yeah" Jack said. "Where is he?"

"Brooklyn, he's in bad shape, he'll be back tomorra" Spot said and got up. He walked out of the lodging house. 'Were the people who beat up Rif-raf the same who beat up Race?' he thought. Spot shrugged. He walked back to Brooklyn without stopping.

**So yep! That's that chapter! Hope ya liked it! I know… it was kinda short**


	6. Sorry Race

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Newsies or the characters, but I do own Rif-raf still! YAY! I haven't written in a few days since I was in New York, where I yelled off the Brooklyn Bridge and visited the Horace Greely Statue.**

Rif-raf woke up in a strange place. He sat up, a little worried, but then he realized where he was, Brooklyn. One of the places he feared the most. He got up, still feeling very sore. He had to get up early so he could get to the distribution office quickly. Spot had told him to leave as soon as he woke up, unless he couldn't move. Rif-raf could move, and he did not want to stay in Brooklyn a minute longer. It was still dark outside when he started to cross the bridge. He guessed it was early morning. He ran a bit on the bridge so he could get to Manhattan faster, but he knew he still had a long time to go. After only about 5 minutes, he stopped running. He continued to walk. He was very mad about what had happened the day before. He had gone out early because he could not sleep, and was attacked by the man and a few others. Rif-raf shook his head. That was one of the days he had wished he still worked at the factory, but Rif-raf shook the feeling away. In the factory, he could have gotten his fingers cut off, like he almost did before. When Rif-raf got to the Lodging house some boys were already up. Some greeted him, but most just watched him pass. Rif-raf sat on his bed. When all of the boys left, he took a deck of cards and started shuffling them. The sound of shuffling cards must have woken up Racetrack, because he was sitting up.

"By god ya look awful!" Rif-raf said.

"Yeah, well ya don't look to pretty yaself." Race replied.

"Look Race, I'm sorry." Spot had told Rif-raf about how Race had been mugged, and knew it was by the same people who beat up him. If Rif-raf had not sold the person that newspaper, they would not be in this situation.

"Hey, its not ya fault the guy fell for that headline!" Race said. "Besides, Spot didn't let them get away with it, its fine."

"Yeah," Rif-raf said, "I hope." They played a few games of cards before resting again.

**So yeah, it's kinda short, but there it is. I know exactly where I am going with this story… YAY!**


	7. Beginning to end

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed… Oh wait! Only one! Smiley94!**

Race and Rif-raf sold the next day. Race still felt sore, and not the best, but if he didn't sell he wouldn't make any money, besides, people might take sympathy on him. Race and Rif-raf sold together, but in a different spot, hoping the guy wouldn't be there. It wasn't the best headline that day; the news from the fire was dying down, so Race and Rif-raf used their close appearance, and their wounds to an advantage.

"Please sir, buy this paper, because if my brodda and I don't get enough money, our father will beat us again!" Race watched Rif-raf ask a man. The man handed a coin to Rif-raf and the boy smiled. "Thank you sir!" He said and ran over to Race. "The guy gave me a quata! Dese people believe anyting!" Race nodded. After a while, they sold all of their papes. They went to Tibby's to find most of the newsies already there. Race sat next to Skittery and Boots, and Rif-raf joined him.

"Selling was easy today!" Race said to his friends. "We got more money dan I can handle! If dis keeps happenin', I'll be da richest man in New York!"

"Nah, you'll blow it all away bettin'" Boots said. The boys laughed and Racetrack slapped him in the back of his head. Then the doors burst open. Jack stormed in with Mush. They seemed very angry.

"Harlem!" Jack yelled, "Dey always gotta mess tings up!"

"What happened, Jack?" Kid Blink asked

"I was selling my papes when dis kid, newsie, from Harlem stole my papes, it was unbelievable!" Mush yelled. Everyone looked around in shock. Race could not believe this. The newsies were all getting along fine, even before the strike there was barley any trouble with the boroughs, and now, Harlem was stealing papes!

"Hold on!" Rif-raf said, "How do ya know it was Harlem?" The newsies stared at Rif-raf in shock.

"I could just tell, kid!" Mush said, obviously angry. Rif-raf looked down at the table, and Race shook his head. Rif-raf wasn't a newsie when the boroughs were constantly fighting one another for selling territory.

"Well-" Race started but Skittery cut him off

"Takin' his side again?" He said pointing at Rif-raf, "Ever since he came, he is de only one you'se agree with!"

"He has a point!" Race said standing up. Jack walked over to his fellow newsies

"Hey! Even if it wasn't Harlem, someone still stole Mush's papes, since he was close to Harlem, we can assume it was one of dem." He said and walked back to where he was, casting a very nasty glare at Rif-raf. Race looked at the kid sitting next to him; the kid who had been like his brother ever since he had met him. Racetrack had worked hard to have the other newsies gain his trust, and for a while, they had, but now it seemed like it was all falling apart.

**So that's it! I don't think Harlem will be a big part of this story, I just needed to get something in the story that would start to turn the newsies against Rif-raf again. **


	8. the worse is yet to come

Rif-raf looked around the restaurant in disbelief. He saw that some of the newsies were giving him terrible glares. Why were they so mad at him? He made a point. What if it was just some punk kid! They would be in a fight with Harlem for no reason at all. Rif-raf took one last look around the room then got up. He did not want to be in a place where he was hated. Jack let Rif-raf pass without a second thought. Rif-raf was so mad at the newsies. If it had been any other newsie that made that suggestion, they would have laughed at them and told them that they were an idiot, but since Rif-raf said it, it was an offence. The only newsie who had stood up for him, who had ever stood up for him, was Race. 'Can I stay a newsie, when no one trusts me?' Rif-raf asked himself. He shook his head. Of course he could stay a newsie. He saw a bull and grinned. He walked over behind him and took his hat. Rif-raf put it on and laughed at the bull.

"Give that back now!" The bull said reaching for the hat, but rif-raf pulled it away.

"Use your manna's sir!" Rif-raf said smartly.

"Give it back or I will take it back!" The bull said, threateningly. Rif-raf shrugged

"You want it, go get it!" He said and threw the hat, and it landed in a muddy puddle. The bull looked like he would strangle Rif-raf. Rif-raf ran away and laughed.

"Get back here, you Rif-raf!" The bull yelled, and that is why Rif-raf was called Rif-raf. The bulls had called him that so many times, that it had might as well been his name, and so it was. When Rif-raf was safely out of view, he stopped running; there was no way that that fat bull would be able to catch him. It was dark out, so he decided to head back to the lodging house, but stopped in his tracks. Maybe he shouldn't sleep there tonight. There were a lot of newsies who slept outdoors, besides, he could get a good sleep without being kept up by the constant talking of the newsies, and all the newsies would be talking about anyways would be how Mush got his papers stolen. Rif-raf shrugged, then turned to go to the square where the newsies spent most of their time. There were two kids sleeping on the statue, and another three around it. They all looked around Rif-raf's age. Two boys on the ground were awake, whispering to one another, and then they looked up at Rif-raf. He knew these boys, he would sword fight with them sometimes with Les.

"I need a place to sleep" Rif-raf said. The boys looked at each other, and pointed to a spot next to the statue. Rif-raf nodded and walked over to it. He laid down, it was not the most comfortable place to sleep, but it would have to do, at least until the tention between him and the other newsies eased. After what seemed like a second he was woken up but a yell.

"RIF!" Rif-raf woke up with a jump. Race was the one who woke him up. The newsies were all getting their papers. "I've been callin' ya foreva! You're always the first to wake up, and then you wouldn't! There is sometin wrong witchoo." Rif-raf sat up and looked around. "Why were you sleeping here?" Race asked him.

"I didn't actually feel welcome at the lodgin' house" Rif-raf said standing up. "How mad are they?" He asked.

"They're not that mad!" Race said, "Are you sellin' with me today?" Rif-raf thought about for a second, if he sold with Race, it could get the newsies made at him as well, but then again, Race had said they were not that mad. Finally Rif-raf nodded. They got in line to sell, ignoring the glares made by some newsies. Rif-raf had told himself that this time next month the newsies would not be mad at him, but Rif-raf did not know that something worse was about to happen.

**What could it be? Anyone feel bad at all for Rif-raf? The poor kid! At least now you know why he is called Rif-raf!** **I'll be able to write more often now because I hurt my ankle and really can only sit around.**


	9. Racetrack!

Rif-raf walked up and down the street yelling improved headlines. Racetrack was ahead in selling today, only because Rif-raf was off his game, worried about what the other newsies would think of him returning to the lodging house. 'Focus Rif!' he told himself 'You got more important things to think about!' Race came up next to him

"So how's sellin'?" he asked. He had about 30 papers in his hand he had already sold ten. Rif-raf looked at his papes, he had only sold five so far.

"Not good, I need somethin'-" but he was cut off by a whisper

"Rif! Is that you?" Rif-raf turned to see where the voice had come from. There was a police wagon that was used to get kids to the refuge. He looked in the side, and saw his friend Bill, who had told him about the Newsies strike in the first place.

"Bill what the Heck happened?" Rif-raf said. Bill chucked a bit.

"I stole some food, I'll probably get out in a few weeks." He said "I still have a trial, but it's nothing big." Rif-raf looked around. There were 4 other boys in the wagon that he did not recognize. "So how's the new job?" Bill continued, but Rif-raf didn't answer.

"I ain't gonna watch one of my best friends go to jail!" He said and walked to the front of the carriage "There's gotta be a key somewhere!" Racetrack ran over to Rif-raf.

"Are ya out of ya mind!" He said "Ya can't just set them free!"

"Yes I can and I will!" Rif-raf said when he found the key. He walked to the back of the wagon and unlocked the door. The kids jumped out.

"Ya shouldn't do dis Rif!" Bill said when he got out. Then Rif-raf heard whistles, and saw four bulls run toward him.

"RUN!" Race scream and pushed Rif-raf forward. The seven boys ran as fast as they could. When they came to an ally, Rif-raf jumped into it. He knew from experience that the bulls wouldn't follow, but this time they did, and they boys were cornered. They took the five boys, and Rif-raf. Rif-raf sighed, it was only a matter of time before he went to jail, and now he was.

"Wait!" Race screamed, as a bull grabbed him. "He didn't do anytin'! He was with me when I unlocked the door as a joke, he just ran with me." Race said as he looked at Rif-raf. Rif-raf's mouth dropped in shock. Race was usually sly, and he would have never had done that for anyone else, so why now? Rif-raf started to protest, but Race quieted him. The bulls let Rif-raf go. He sat down in the ally way, and watched the four boys he did not know, but had tried to help, Bill, and Race be carried away. A sentence for going setting free kids under arrest would be very large indeed. Race was going to jail for something Rif-raf had done. The other newsies would not like it, but if he was going to get Race out, he would need their help.

**BAD Rif-raf! Now Race is in jail? You idiot! I hope the other Newsies beat you up! But seriously, why the heck did Racetrack say he did it? This is not the Racetrack I know!**


	10. Telling

Race looked around at the other kids in the room. He was one of the oldest kids there. The refuge may not have been as it use to be, but it was still a horrible place. Some boys were playing cards, but Race wasn't in the mood to join. 'At least Rif isn't in this place' Race thought. He sat down on a bunk. A big Kid, probably a year older than Race, walked up to him.

"Get up" He said "That's where I'se sleep." Race looked around at the other kids, they had fear in their eyes as they from Race to the kid. 'This kid must be the tough guy' Race stood up and gestured to the bunk

"All yours tough guy." Race said and walked away. He looked out the window. He wondered what Jack and the others were doing, and if Rif-raf had told them that he was in jail. 'I doubt it, he is too scared to step near the lodging house, that punk gets himself in trouble too much, maybe this will teach him a lesson.' He sat on the ground. He wanted nothing more than to get out of jail. Race knew he could not have let Rif-raf come here.

Rif-raf looked up at the lodging house. He did not know what would happen when he walked in alone. How would he tell the newsies that he had gotten Race put in jail? He sighed and stepped toward the building, his stomach flipped, but he went inside anyway. He tried to avoid the stares, and gathered enough courage to walk up to Jack.

"Er, Jack, I um" Rif-raf stammered Jack looked at him.

"What kid?" Jack said, "Spit it out!" Rif-raf sighed

"Race is… in… jail." He said it, but regretted it as soon as it left his lips. Jack stood up and the room suddenly got quiet, Rif-raf did not know he had said that so loud.

"What happened? What'd he do?" Jack asked. Rif-raf shook his head, he felt like he was going to be sick.

"Not what he did, what I did." He looked at the other newsies, then at the floor. "I broke some kids out of a wagon, and the bulls caught me." Jack looked like he was going to strangle Rif-raf.

"So you blamed it on him?" Jack said.

"No!" Rif-raf said stepping back "He took the blame! I don't know why!" Jack looked around in disbelief.

"Okay, we are going to get him out. Mush, Blink and me will go tomorrow night." He looked at the newsies and they nodded. "And Rif, try not to mess anything else up!" Rif-raf looked around as the newsies filed upstairs. They wouldn't even look at Rif-raf they were so mad, but some of them bumped into him as they past. When they were all upstairs, he walked out of the lodging house. He felt like crying. He had nowhere to go, and no one to talk to, but then he remembered Les. He walked to the building that the Jaccobs lived in. He walked up the stairs remembering the time he had gone there. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Mrs. Jaccobs opened the door.

"Hi! What a surprise to see ya!" She said, "Come in!" Les came running to she who it was, and smiled when he saw him.

"Rif!" He shouted and ran over to his friend. "How is sellin'?" Rif-raf shrugged.

"Les, I gotta tell ya somtin'" He said and they walked into his bedroom. David was there as well, but Rif-raf didn't mind. He told them about Race and Jack. Les and David looked like they had been slapped in the face. "I was kinda hopin' dat.. I could stay here for the night." Les looked at David with a begging look, and David just shrugged.

"I guess you could sleep out there" he said pointing to the fire escape. Rif-raf nodded. He sat outside, alone. He could not belive that this was actually happening. He lay down, and fell asleep.

**There it is! I think the story is almost over**


	11. Convincing to leave

Race spent all of next day just looking out of the window. He knew Jack would try to break him out, but he didn't know yet if he wanted to. If he stayed, and didn't cause too much trouble, then maybe he would get out early, or at least on sentence. His court date was tomorrow, and he didn't want to skip it. He avoided interaction with the other kids as much as he could. He had a deck of cards that he constantly shuffled, but he never played with anyone else, afraid that when he won it would get on their bad side. 'I wonder when Jack will try to get me out of here.' Race thought, and before he knew it, he was asleep. A tapping on the window woke him up. He stood up and saw Jack. He opened the window.

"Ha, I was wonderin' when you were gonna show up." He said. Jack laughed a bit.

"You know me well Race." He said. "Ready to leave?" Race looked around, he didn't know what to say. The answer was "yes" but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Well, Jack if I leave, I'll just get in more trouble, not to mention you and whoeva else you brought along." Race said looking up. "Nah, I'll wait, can't be too long, maybe a couple more months or so, I go ta court tommora, I'll find out then."

"Come on Race!" Jack said "It ain't fair that you gotta be in here for somtin' ya didn't do!" Race just shook his head.

"But they don't know dat Jack, and its betta day don't!" Jack looked at him in disbelief.

"Why!" he asked, "Dat kid deserves to be in dis place 10 times more dan you do!"

"Ya don't undastand Jack!" Race yelled, "and ya neva will!" Race said, and closed the window. He sat down again and saw that all of the boys were watching him. "What!" he screamed, and they turned away. Now that he thought of it, he should have left, but now, he couldn't, and he would have to wait.

Rif-raf walked to the lodging house, deciding that he wanted to apologize to Race, but he didn't know if Race was willing to except. He really messed up this time, and now his friend had to pay for it. He saw Jack, Mush and Blink walking, without Race. Rif-raf thought about it for a second, then went up to Jack.

"Where's Race?" He asked, in a quite voice.

"Ya have a lotta nerve comin' here!" Blink said

"I know, but I had ta talk ta Race."

"Well, ya gonna half ta wait a few months, he's stayin'" Jack said

"What!" Rif-raf cried in disbelief.

"He didn't want no one ta get in trouble, and he wanted ta stick around for court." Jack said, and pushed Rif-raf aside and walked into the lodging house. Rif-raf couldn't believe what he was hearing! First Race takes the blame for unexplained reasons, then he dosen't want to break out of jail! Nothing was making sense to Rif-raf. What could he do? Then, he knew. He turned around, and walked down the dark street.


	12. Surprise in court

Race was nervous. Today he would be going to court. When he arrived at the courtroom, he couldn't believe who he saw, Rif-raf. When he saw the kid, he felt a jolt of furry, but it quickly past. Rif-raf looked both sad and scared. The bailiff stood up.

"All rise! The case of Anthony Higgins." Race looked at Rif-raf. The judge spoke to him.

"Young man, you do realize that what you have done is a serious crime, so why did you do it?" Race looked around. He cleared his throat.

"Well, um, one of da boys in da carriage was my friend, so I uh, let him go." Race looked down at the ground.

Rif-raf could not believe what he was hearing.

"Um, your honor?" Rif-raf said shyly

"Yes boy, and what is your name?" he said

"I don't hava name, and… he… he didn't do it!" he finally spat out. Race looked at him in pure shock. "I set those boys free, it was my friend in the carriage! It was all me!" Rif-raf said, and he started to cry, he couldn't help it.

Race shook his head and looked down. The judge looked at Rif-raf, then at Racetrack.

"Is this true?" Race sighed, and nodded

"Ya, your honor."

"Then, I guess the only question is, why did you to the blame?" Race's stomach flipped. The secret he had been keeping for as long as he had known Rif-raf, because as soon as he looked that boy in the eyes, he knew.

"Because his name is Sal Higgins, and he is my Brodda."

**Wow! A lot happened in such a short chapter Yeah I know, kinda predictable, but in my defense, I was debating on whether that was gonna happen or not. At first it didn't even cross my mind, then I thought about it, then I decided that it would make more sense then Race just wanting to protect Rif-raf. The next chapter will be my last. ******


	13. The End

Rif-raf stopped crying. He could not believe what he had just heard. Race was his brother? How? Rif-raf had lived on the streets for as long as he could remember, and he had never known his parents, let alone an older brother. Race looked at Rif-raf.

"Your honor, may I explain to him?" Race asked, and the Judge nodded. Race sighed and began. "Just before me mudda died, She had a baby boy she named Sal. He was a spittin' image of both his fadda and older brodda. Rif-raf listened to the story with complete shock. "Our fadda alone couldn't take care of a six-year-old and a baby boy, so we were sent to live with our gran'parents. We lived dere for 'bout tree years, until dey died, and we were thrown out onto de streets." Race looked at his little brother. "Sal looked, and still looks just like me, so I tought that it would be impossible for us to lose each odda, but we did. I neva saw Sal again, until 'bout a month ago. As soon as I saw him I knew. Of course, he was too young to rememba me, but I was nine, so I could rememba him." Rif-raf listened to the story. It had all made sense now. All along, Race had been his brother. But why had he kept it from him? Rif-raf was a bit mad at Race, but he was too happy to show it. He knew who he was.

"Thank you, boy, you are cleared of all charges." He banged the gavel on the stand. Then looked at Rif-raf. "As for Sal Higgins," The judge began. The Bailiff took Rif-raf to the stand. He knew this was coming, but he didn't care. "I fine you ten dollars, or seven months in the city refuge. Rif-raf looked down.

"I-I don't have ten dollars…" He said quietly. The judge looked at the boy.

"Seven months in the city refuge." He said, and banged the gavel on the stand. Race looked at his brother.

"Rif, I'm so sorry I didn't tell ya earlier, I just wanted to wait until ya were ready." Rif-raf looked at Race.

"It's ok, I undastand, I just can't believe it." He said. Race looked at Rif-raf with big eyes.

"Ya don't hafta go ta jail, kid" Race said, "I have da ten dollars from da bets I won!" but Rif-raf shook his head.

"Nah, I deserve it." Race looked disappointed.

"I'll see ya around then kid?" Race said, with a choking voice, and tears in his eyes. Rif-raf smiled.

"Only seven months" He said, also starting to cry. The two brothers hugged, just before Rif-raf was pulled away. Rif-raf took one last look at his hero, the kid he had always looked up to. Rif-raf sighed. Race was free, and more importantly, Rif-raf was going to jail knowing who he was.

"Sal Higgins" He whispered, as he walked into the refuge.

THE END.

**That's the story! I hope you liked it. Maybe it wasn't the most best and happy of endings, but it was realistic! Thanks to Smiley94 who encouraged me to continue writing this story! And thanks to everyone who and will review. Great… I only let this story get off the first page once, and now it won't be on the first page anymore! Lol. BYE!!**


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